Courses:

Research Interests

The prime focus of my scholarship is the enhancement of scientific communication. As a science writer and editor, I am involved in an number of projects that work to promote scientific literacy in the general public. I have a special interest in the history of science. Please see my list of publications below. I am the co-owner of a local science production company, Ricochet Productions (www.ricochetprod.com) that specializes in the preparation of science material for the general public and academic publishers.

A second area of interest is in environmental education, specifically water quality monitoring. Prior to coming to Appalachian State I was actively involved in the Coosa River Basin Initiative, a grassroots environmental organization in NW Georgia. There I served as the director of the Floyd College Wetland Preserve and conducted numerous workshops for K-12 educators on the importance of wetlands and water. Here in our area I am currently working for the National Committee for the New River to establish a citizen-based water monitoring network on the North and South Forks for the New River. We have recently placed a database of water quality online on the NCNR website (www.ncnr.org).We currently have a network established on the North Fork near Creston, NC and are working to place monitors in the Boone/Blowing Rock area. Interested parties (students, community groups, etc) should contact me for more information.

I am also currently collaborating with the lab of Dr Ken Shull at ASU to examine the differences in mating behavior between laboratory and local populations of D. simulans. Specifically this is examining the biochemical differences of pheromone production in lab and field populations. Opportunities exist in this area for bot undergraduate and graduate research projects.

I have a long-established interest in the study of insecticide resistance. The rapid evolution of resistance to chemical and biological insecticides is of a major concern to both agriculture and medicine. The number of species demonstrating resistance to at least one class of control agents exceeds 600, with more being added yearly. Furthermore, the use of chemical control agents frequently alters the natural species balance in an ecosystem. The primary interest of my research is to develop an understanding of how insect populations respond from a molecular and population basis to insecticide selection in the field. Specifically, I am interested in how sympatric populations of closely related species respond to selection. Using Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans as a model system, I have demonstrated that these species display a differential response to organophosphate selection in the field. From common collection sites, D. simulans displays resistance levels two orders of magnitude higher than those presented from D. melanogaster. Furthermore D. simulans, a specialist species, appears to be out-competing its sibling species D. melanogaster in its distribution. My research focuses on determining if this is the result of selection by chemical control agents such as organophosphates and pythrethroids, or is due to other ecological factors such as habitat destruction and climate changes. The results of this work may be used as a model for studies of pest species with of a more destructive nature.

Publications

Books

Windelspecht, M. Genes 101. Greenwood Publishing Group, under contract (May 2005)

Windelspecht, M. 2004. The Digestive System. Greenwood Publishing, Westport CT.

McDowell, J. and M. Windelspecht, 2003. The Lymphatic System. Greenwood Publishing, Westport CT

Windelspecht, M. 2003.Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions and Discoveries of the 19th Century. Greenwood Publishing. January 2003

Windelspecht, M. 2002.Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions and Discoveries of the 17th Century. Greenwood Publishing, Westport, CT.

Ancillaries & Lab Manuals

Jackson, J. D. and M. Windelspecht.2005. Study Guide and Workbook: An Interactive Approach. Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Windelspecht, M. 2004.Student Study Guide for Brooker's Genetics: Principles and Applications, 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Windelspecht, M. 2004.Instructor Manual and Test Bank for Brooker's Genetics: Principles and Applications, 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill Publishing

Taylor, J., J.D. Jackson, M. Windelspecht and R. Cheney. 2003 Study Guide and Workbook: An Interactive Approach. Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Windelspecht, M and B. Harris (eds.). 2002. Explorations in General Biology II. Kendall-Hunt Publishing. December 2002 (in its 2nd edition)

Windelspecht, M and B. Harris (eds.). 2002. Explorations in General Biology I. Kendall-Hunt Publishing. August 2002.

Science Consultant:
The Human Body & The Environment (4 volumes). 2003. Greenwood Publishing, Westport, CT.

Peer Reviewed:

Stockdale, H., M. Windelspecht, J. Ritchie and J.K. Shull. 2004. Male Courtship Behavior in a Drosophila melanogaster vestigial winged stock. Journal of Insect Behavior, in revision.

Windelspecht, M. 2001. Technology and Biology - Breaking the Dual Learning Curve. American Biology Teacher 63(2): 1-6

Windelspecht, M, R.C. Richmond and B. J. Cochrane. 1998. Survey of Malathion Resistance and Avermectin Susceptibility in Field Populationsof Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera Drosophilidae) and D. simulans. Journal of Economic Entomology 91(6): 1245-1252

Cochrane, B.J., M. Windelspecht, S.B. Brandon, M. Morrow and L. Dryden. 1998. Use of recombinant inbred lines for the investigation of insecticide resistance and cross resistance in Drosophila simulans. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology. 61: 95-114

Cochrane, B.J and M. Windelspecht. 1997. Evidence for genetic heterogeneity in a malathion-resistant population of Drosophila simulans. 1997 Resistance Pest Management Newsletter. 9(2): 17-19.

Windelspecht, M. R.C. Richmond and B.J. Cochrane. 1995. Malathion resistance levels in sympatric populations of Drosophila simulans (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and Drosophila melanogaster differ by two orders of magnitude. Journal of Economic Entomology 88(5): 1138-1143

Mullan, M.H., H.Houlden & M.Windelspecht et al. 1992. A locus for familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease on the long arm of chromosome 14, proximal to the alpha 1-antichymotrypsin gene Nature Genetics 2: 340-342

Edited Books:

Watson, S. 2005.The Urinary System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

Adams, A. 2005.The Muscular System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

Mertz, L.2005. The Circulatory System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

Petechuk, D. 2005.The Respiratory System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

Hollen, Kathryn.2005. The Reproductive System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

McDowell, J.2005. The Nervous System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

Watson, S and K. Miller.2005. The Endocrine System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

Kelly, E. 2005.The Skeletal System. (series editor) Greenwood Publishing Group; Westport CT.

General Articles:

Windelspecht, M. 2005. A Cascade Effect. New River News 6(1):6

Windelspecht. M. 2004. Lateral Gene Transfer. In Encyclopedia of Genetics, Revised Edition. Salem Press, Inc.

Windelspecht, M. 2004. Biopesticides: Effects on Nontarget Species. In Encyclopedia of Genetics, Revised Edition. Salem Press, Inc.

Windelspecht, M. 2004. Cloning. Magills Medical Guide, Third Revised Edition.

Windelspecht, M. 2004.Gene Therapy. Magills Medical Guide, Third Revised Edition.

Windelspecht, M. 2004. Melanoma cases linked to gene mutation B-RAF. Magills Medical Guide, Third Revised Edition.

Windelspecht, M. 2003. The Value of Citizen-Based Water Quality Monitoring. New River News 3(1):3

Windelspecht, M. 2002. Backyard Water Monitoring. New River News 2(2):5